Combating Post-9/11 Discriminatory Backlash

How to File a Complaint with Other Federal Offices

The following links will lead you to information about how to file a complaint with other federal offices that enforce laws that prohibit discrimination. If you think that you or someone you know has been the victim of discrimination or a hate crime, please follow these links for information on filing a complaint.

If you believe you have been discriminated against by an agency that receives funding from the Department of Justice, you can file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs.

For example: a passenger of Pakistani national origin who is traveling on a commercial airline claims that he was asked to leave the airplane by airline officials at a U.S. airport. He believes that he was singled out because he looks Middle Eastern.

The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties handles complaints concerning abuses of civil rights, civil liberties, and profiling on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion, by employees and officials of the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commission (CBP), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are all part of DHS, and the DHS Office of Civil Rights can assist in complaints involving all of these agencies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigates reports of hate crimes and deprivations of constitutional rights (such as unwarranted assaults, illegal arrests and searches) by local and federal law enforcement officers.. If you think that you or someone you know has been the victim of such a crime, you may contact the local FBI office.

This link contains information about where to file a complaint (including civil rights complaints) about the conduct of a Department of Justice employee. This includes employees and officers of the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and employees who work in other Department of Justice offices.

The Community Relations Service can provide expert guidance and assistance to community officials and civic leaders concerned about incidents or other hate activities in the aftermath of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks. CRS Regional Offices will provide mediators free of charge to help communities respond effectively to reported incidents, tensions, and conflicts. Please contact the nearest CRS Office for assistance.

Complaints alleging discrimination by Treasury Department employees can be filed with the Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG). Complaints alleging discrimination by any other Treasury Department employees can also be filed with the OIG.